Thanksgiving – I don’t know about you, but for me Thanksgiving is either an exhausting day or it’s a day with nothing much to do, and in recent years, it’s been the former much more than the latter.

• Maybe you will have to work on Thanksgiving Day (just another day).
• Maybe you will have to work, but it will be a busier day than usual.
• Maybe you will be hosting family and/or friends.
• Maybe you will be cooking for family and/or friends.
• Maybe you will be spending the day with family and/or friends.
• Maybe you will be able to squeeze in a few minutes with family and/or friends.
• Maybe you will be traveling.
• Maybe you won’t want to go anywhere.
• Maybe you don’t have anywhere to go.

For many of us, it will seem like too much, or not enough. For many, especially us “Martha types”, it can be more about the “doing” and not the “being,” the “being with,” if we aren’t careful. Be careful.

I pray that you will have a perfect Thanksgiving Day. Not perfect as defined by a great meal, prepared perfectly, and where everyone volunteers to help clean up. Not perfect as defined as being with the people you want to be with, and everyone gets along. Not perfect as defined as the best work schedule for your personal schedule. But perfect as defined by knowing that you are in God’s will wherever you find yourself and with whomever you find yourself with.

My prayer is that regardless of how or where we end up spending Thanksgiving, that we will do it with a heart of ministry. I pray that whatever we do, we do it with a heart of love. Whether we are cooking, or washing pots and pans, or going somewhere, or doing our job at NRM, I pray that we will determine to be a blessing, to reflect the love of Christ, in each and every moment of the day. And I pray that our hearts in each and every moment of the day will resonate with the glory of God. May this be your Thanksgiving Prayer: Doxology (a beautiful version by Phil Wickham).

In Christ,

Judy